Hinge including antenna

Abstract

A hinge for a computing device includes at least one antenna extending from a body portion of the hinge into a body portion of the computing device. When incorporated into a head mounted wearable device, the hinge couples an arm portion to a front frame portion of the device, with the at least one antenna extending into an installation area defined by the front frame portion. The at least one antenna does not occupy installation space in the arm portions, providing additional space for other electrical components of the device, and provides for modularity in coupling a variety of arm portions housing different arrangements and/or combinations of electrical components to a variety of different front frames.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A head mounted wearable device, comprising:
 a frame, including:
 a front frame portion, the front frame portion including:
 at least one hinge coupled in a shoulder portion of the front frame portion; and 
 at least one antenna extending from the at least one hinge into the front frame portion of the frame; and 
 
 at least one arm portion rotatably coupled to the front frame portion by the at least one hinge; and 
 a plurality of electronic components received in an installation volume defined in the at least one arm portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein a body portion of the at least one hinge is coupled in a shoulder portion of the front frame portion of the frame, and wherein the at least one antenna includes:
 a first antenna extending from the body portion of the at least one hinge along an upper orbital portion of the front frame portion; and   a second antenna extending from the body portion of the at least one hinge along a lower orbital portion of the front frame portion.   
     
     
         3 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 2 , wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are electrically isolated from each other, and separately are operable. 
     
     
         4 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna is coupled to or integrally formed with a body portion of the at least one hinge, and extends from the body portion of the at least one hinge into an installation volume defined in the front frame portion of the frame. 
     
     
         5 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna is coupled to or integrally formed with a body portion of the at least one hinge, and is embedded in a material forming the front frame portion of the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one arm portion includes a first arm portion and a second arm portion;   the at least one hinge includes:
 a first hinge having a body portion thereof fixed in a first shoulder portion of the front frame portion and a coupling portion that rotatably couples the first arm portion to the front frame portion; and 
 a second hinge having a body portion thereof fixed in a second shoulder portion of the front frame portion and a coupling portion that rotatably couples the second arm portion to the front frame portion; and 
   the at least one antenna includes a plurality of antennas extending from the first hinge and the second hinge into the front frame portion of the frame.   
     
     
         7 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas is configured to communicate with an external device. 
     
     
         8 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas is configured to communicate with another of the plurality of antennas. 
     
     
         9 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of antennas includes:
 a first antenna extending from the body portion of the first hinge along a first lower portion of the front frame portion;   a second antenna extending from the body portion of the second hinge along a second lower portion of the front frame portion;   a third antenna extending from the body portion of the first hinge along a first upper portion of the front frame portion; and   a fourth antenna extending from the body portion of the second hinge along a second upper portion of the front frame portion.   
     
     
         10 . The head mounted wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one hinge includes:
 a body portion coupled in a shoulder portion of the front frame portion of the frame, wherein the at least one antenna extends from the body portion into the front frame portion of the frame;   a coupling portion extending outward from the body portion and configured to be coupled to a coupling portion of the at least one arm portion;   at least one fastener configured to rotatably engage the coupling portion of the at least one arm portion and the coupling portion of the at least one hinge.   
     
     
         11 . A hinge for a head mounted wearable device, the hinge comprising:
 a body portion coupled in a shoulder portion of a front frame portion of a frame of the head mounted wearable device;   at least one antenna extending from the body portion into the front frame portion of the frame;   a coupling portion extending outward from the body portion and configured to be coupled to a coupling portion of an arm portion of the head mounted wearable device; and   at least one fastener configured to rotatably engage the coupling portion of the arm portion and the coupling portion of the hinge.   
     
     
         12 . The hinge of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one antenna includes:
 a first antenna extending from the body portion and into the front frame portion along an upper orbital portion of the front frame portion; and   a second antenna extending from the body portion and into the front frame portion along a lower orbital portion of the front frame portion.   
     
     
         13 . The hinge of  claim 12 , wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are electrically isolated from each other, and are separately operable. 
     
     
         14 . The hinge of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna is configured to communicate with an external device. 
     
     
         15 . The hinge of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna is configured to communicate with an antenna of another hinge of the head mounted wearable device. 
     
     
         16 . The hinge of  claim 12 , wherein
 the at least one antenna is coupled to or integrally formed with the body portion, and   the at least one antenna extends from the body portion of the hinge into an installation volume defined in the front frame portion, or is embedded in a material forming the front frame portion of the frame.   
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling a head mounted wearable device, comprising:
 selecting a front frame portion, the front frame portion including:
 a first hinge coupled in a first shoulder portion of the front frame portion; 
 a second hinge coupled in a second shoulder portion of the front frame portion; and 
 at least one antenna extending into the front frame portion from at least one of the first hinge or the second hinge; and 
   selecting a first arm portion including a first plurality of electronic components;   selecting a second arm portion including a second plurality of electronic components;   coupling the first arm portion to the front frame portion via the first hinge; and   coupling the second arm portion to the front frame portion via the second hinge.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein selecting the front frame portion includes selecting the front frame portion from a plurality of front frame portions, the front frame portion having the first hinge, the second hinge, and the at least one antenna previously incorporated. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one antenna includes a plurality of antennas, the plurality of antennas including:
 a first antenna extending from the first hinge into the front frame portion, along a first lower portion of the front frame portion;   a second antenna extending from the second hinge into the front frame portion, along a second lower portion of the front frame portion;   a third antenna extending from the first hinge into the front frame portion, along a first upper portion of the front frame portion; and   a fourth antenna extending from the second hinge into the front frame portion, along a second upper portion of the front frame portion.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas is configured to communicate with an external device, and at least one of the plurality of antennas is configured to communicate with another of the plurality of antennas.